Method for refining oil.



C. B; FORWARD.

Memup ron nimma on. APPLICATION FI`|. ED DELE. 19.11'.

Patenta Apr. 8,191.9.

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other product to CHAUNCEY B. FORWARD,- OF URBANA, OHIO.

METHOD FOR OIL. i

Speciiication of Letters Patent.

Patenten Apr. s, 1919.

Application tiled December 6, 1917. Serial No. 205,815.

.new and useful Improvements in Methods' for Refining Oil, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method for refining oil, and is an improvement on the method for treating petroleum shown and described in my application for Letters Patent. of the United States, Serial Number 155,695, filed March 19, 1917 y. The object of the present invention is to heat the oil gradually to a higher temperature than I find possib-le under my former practice, and in so doing separat-e a larger percentage of the volatile substances from, the product being treated and reducing such volatile substances to a iner gaseous state permitting fractional separations there-from.

In the accompanying drawing, I show a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for practising the invention, comprising a steam superhleating boiler Q, three separate oil heaters 3, 4 and 5, respectively, an oil pump 6 to force feed the oil in a continuous stream under a high pressure through said oil heaters, a 'primary separator 7 into which the heatedoil is discharged and from which the volatile and gaseous substances arev fed, a series of clarifying condensers 8 connected in tandem for clearing and separating the less volatile substances having a lower Baume gravity test than thega'solene or motor fuel oil desired, and a worm condenser 9 and liquid separator 10 for the gasolene or motor fuel oil.

In practising the method, the crude oil or be treated, is forced from its supply tank 11 by pump 6 in a continuous stream into and through a long coil of relatively small pipe 12 confined within the cylindrical heater 3 which is heated to a, high temperature by superheated steam. To be more specic', the steam temperature maintained constantly in' heater 3 is about 450 F. vThence, the oil liows at a temperature of about 420` F. to a vsecond long coil of relatively small pipe 13 conned within the second cylindrical heater 4 which `is heated by superheated steam obtained directly from the steam superheating boiler 2 by way of a valved pipe 14. A practical discharge pipe end of the separator or working steam temperature vat the point where the steam leaves the boiler is about 850 to 950 F. and where this superheat temperature is maintained a temperature of approximately 600o F. is maintained in oil heater 4, and the steam from cylinder 4 may be delivered through a'pipe 15 to heater '3 and utilized therein to pre-heat the oil to about 420 F. as stated. Thesetemperatures are more or less dependent on the speed with which the oil. is pumped through the coils. The temperature being reduced with increased speed of oil. Under these conditions a constantly flowing body of oil may be heated and discharged into a separator in a highly-volatile condition, but I have discovered that a higher efficiency in result may be obtained by subjecting the. twice heated oil to further heating, and that a" higher steam temperature can be maintained con- 7,5 stantly Within a third cylindrical heater 5, providing that the heated oil issuing from the coil of pipe 13 is carried through a third coil 16 contained within a cylindrical heater 5 receiving a supply of live. superheated 80 steam direct from the boiler at about the lsame tempera-ture as delivered to heater 3 where superheated steam is delivered at about 850 F. to 950 F. to pipe 14 and the sup ply pipe 17 for heater 5 which connects with 85 pipe 15. The steam temperature maintained within the third heater 5 is approximately 700 to 750 Fahrenheit, while the oil l'passing to coil 16 is about 550 to 600 Fahrenheit and is cau-Sed to issue from the coil at about 650 to 750 Fahrenheit. The problem is to secure a of temperature on the oil before being atomized by the-superheated steam, into the separator while the oil is passing through the heated coil at a rate rapidly enough to make it commercially economical and practical. Thus in practising the steps as described, the oil issues from the third'coil at about a temperature of 650 to 750 100 Fahrenheit and is commingled with su! perheated steam of higher temperature obtained directly from the superheater through pipe 18 which connects with the 19 before entering the upper 105 ystill 7. Consethe oil and steam ejected intothe separator are lin a highly-volatilized state and under an extremely high temperature and also pressure. the pressure in the sepfluently,

highl degree l arator being maintained in operations -by a suitable pressure regulating valve 20 in the vapor or gas discharge pipe 21 leading from the to of the separator to the bottom of the first c arifier or condenser 8 of the series of.

three #connected in tandem as shown in the drawing. The residuum collecting in separator 7 is drawn oi'at its bottom through a valved drain pipe 22, while the separations from each clarifying condenser' 8 are drawn oli' through their respectivegage columns 23 located at the bottom thereof. The pressure in the separator forces the residue through valve controlled pipe 22 to tanks located any desired distance from apparatus as is likewise the case with the oils lof heavier gravity than gasolene from clarify- -ing condenser 8. These valves are opened just suliicient in each case to allow the prcdwhere it is feasible tosuperheat and mainl tain the steam at higherltemperatures and pressure economically, but the present disclosure is predicated on operations proceeding with the use of a steam boiler and superheater yielding a constant supply of steam at a temperature of 850 to 950 Fahrenheit and 200 to 300 poundsA pressure, and

with the connecting' pipes, oil heaters and 'the oil before separator adequately protected by suitable insulating material.

What I claim is: j l

1,` A method of refining oil, consisting in subjecting a flowing body of oil to steam superheated -to a temperature below 500 Fahrenheit; then subjecting the heated oil while still flowing to ahigher temperature than as stated but not exceeding a tempera` ture which would coke the. oil or any part thereofg. and finally reheating the product preliminary to discharging the oil in a volatilized state with steam intola still.

2. A method of refining oil, 'consisting in.

forcing a stream of oil continuously through plural sets of coils of pipe, heating one set of coils by superheated steam and utilizing the same steam at a lower temperature in heating a second set of said coils, andheating another set of said coils 'by a new supply of superheated steam to further heat ejecting the same 1nto a separator. v

3. A method of reiining oil, consisting in pumping a body of oil through separate sets of coils of pipe while subjecting each set to superheated steam maintained at a highv temperature, then continuing the flow of oilV through' further coils of pipe heated by. superheated steam to a temperature higher than the maximum temperature of the steam in the Iirst sets, then' commingling superheated steam with the heated oil and ejecting the mixtureinto a closed vessel under a sustained pressure, and finally delivering the separate products into different containers.

Signed at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, this 17th day of November, 1917.

CHAU'NCEY B. FORWARD. 

